A Tribute on the 1 Year Anniversary of his Death

Image by Michael Lium-Hall at www.hemma.ca

Tomorrow, the 5th December 2014, will mark the one year anniversary of the passing of history’s most inspiring leader, freedom fighter and Nobel Peace Prize winner: Nelson Mandela. From Cape Town to London and the USA, bells will ring, music will play and people will gather in celebration of his life, true to the spirit of Nelson Mandela and his cheerful public demeanor (openly displayed by his “Mandela Shuffle” he would break into at broadcasted events).

In South Africa, at exactly 9.56am and 53 seconds, the sound of bells, sirens, instruments, vuvuzelas and a loudhailer will erupt in the city of Johannesburg. This will be followed by a three-minute silence in tribute to Mandela. Then the national anthem will then be sung in Freedom Park, Pretoria. There are a number of other events planned to mark the day, including a Tribute to Nelson Mandela exhibition, a Nelson Mandela Legacy Cup cricket match and live music events by South African artists.

"We have been deeply touched by the outpouring of love from virtually every corner of the world and are grateful to each and every person who has shared how they have been touched by our beloved Madiba.", says the Chief Executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

The Nelson Mandela Shuffle

Mandela's Inspiration of the Arts

Nelson Mandela is well known for inspiring music, movies and poems in his struggle for freedom. Just some of the well-known Hollywood actors that took on the daunting role of this great hero, and immortalized his story, were Danny Glover in Mandela (1987), Sidney Poitier in Mandela and de Klerk (1997), Dennis Haysbert in Goodbye Bafana (2007), Morgan Freeman in Invictus (2009) and Terrence Howard in Winnie Mandela (2013).

Mandela Art Tribute in San Francisco, California

An evening of music, dance, spoken word and drama, called Remembering Mandela, will take place tonight, on 4 December 2014. The Expressive Arts Therapy will be holding this festive event to celebrate the vibrancy and spirit of Nelson Mandela, from his Mandela Shuffle dance to this brightly-colored African print shirts, as well as his strength of character and perseverance in the fight against Apartheid.

Mandela Tribute at Millennium Square in Leeds, UK

Thirteen years ago Nelson Mandela was awarded Freedom of the City of Leeds when he officially opened Millennium Square in 2001. Tomorrow, on the 5th December 2014, the city of Leed’s civic leaders, community groups and young people will gather at Mandela Gardens, on Millennium Square to pay tribute to him on the first anniversary of his death.

The Councilor Keith Wakefield, leader of Leeds City Council, will speak at the event and he had this to say about Nelson Mandela:

“After Nelson Mandela’s tragic death, the outpouring of grief from the people of Leeds showed just how much this exceptional man meant to the city.”

Nelson Mandela's Character

As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison - Nelson Mandela